146 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



climate and soil. Vineyards have been proved and are successful. 

 Fall wheat will make about three good crops out of five. Land 

 is selling at prices ranging at from $2.50 to $10 for unimproved, 

 and from $8 to $30 for improved, according to location and char- 

 acter of improvements. Holt county is loyal to the core — not a 

 county in the State more so." 



Mr. Martyn E. Pell, Fort Scott, Bourbon county, Kansas : 

 " There is room in Southern Kansas for a few more 3'et. We have 

 a healthy climate; rich soil; coal in abundance. Timber is some- 

 what scarce, but in lieu of it we have plenty of good building 

 stone, both sand and limestone; short winters, and plenty of grass. 

 Improved land can be bought here for from $5 to $25; unim- 

 proved, from $1.25 to $10 per acre. There is very little Govern- 

 ment land in this count}'." 



The Bark Louse. 



Mr. H. Stoner, Ogle county. 111., sends a sample of the way his 

 apple limbs are infected, and inquires what is the matter. 



Dr. Trimble — It is the common bark louse. The best way to 

 get rid of them is to wash the trees with caustic soda or potash- 

 Avash, about the time the eggs are hatching. 



Mr. P. T. Quinn said — We always wash our trees in April, 

 which keeps them smooth and clear of insects. 



Barrex Str.vwberry Plants. 



Mr. J. E. IngersoU, Cleveland, Ohio, sends specimens of straw- 

 berry blossoms, and asks why, though his plants grow vigorously 

 and blossom freely every year, they bear no fruit. He bought 

 them for Triomphe de Gand, but the description is not at all like 

 that variety. 



Mr. P. T. Quinn answered — The trouble is, that this is a pistil- 

 late flower, and needs some other sort planted with it for a fertil- 

 izer. The Boston Pine is one of the best sorts for this purpose. 



Plum Trees. 



Mr. Wm. P. Hayden, Raj^mond, Me., inquires whether it " would 

 not ])e a good way to keep insects from plum trees to plant cedars 

 among them ?" 



Mr. Solon Robinson — We have the authority of Charles Down- 

 ino- that it would not only keep the insects aM^ay, but fruit also. 



Melox Bugs. 

 Mr. P. T. Quinn— To keep otf melon bugs, I put twenty-five 



